Brexit bankroller Arron Banks, Cambridge Analytica and Steve Bannon – explosive emails reveal fresh links | openDemocracy

Brexit donor asked controversial Trump-linked data firm to 'come up with strategy' for fundraising in the US – and gave them access to personal information about British voters, according to new leaked emails >>> Brexit bankroller Arron Banks, Cambridge Analytica and Steve Bannon – explosive emails reveal fresh links | openDemocracy

mainly macro: Brexit. Of course everyone hates a compromise, but like much else its the best option, isn't it?

This is the argument put forward by May and her supporters, but rather more significantly it is also the case argued by Martin Sandbu here and other very rational and realistic people. When you have two sides implacably opposed, compromise is often the way forward. No one likes the compromise, but that is the nature of compromises. In a mature democracy where we don’t want to be at our throats all the time, compromise is inevitable...mainly macro: Brexit. Of course everyone hates a compromise, but like much else its the best option, isn't it?

Make legal aid available for people who cannot afford a lawyer

New research shows 78% of people agree that justice is as important as health and education, and 76% agree that people on low incomes should be able to get free legal advice.

But since 2013, legal aid is not available for anyone for a wide range of life-changing problems, including family breakdowns, unfair dismissal, loss of welfare benefits, and almost all medical accidents... Make legal aid available for people who cannot afford a lawyer

Elin Krantz: murder and ‘slut shaming’ as propaganda against minorities, Sweden & the EU | Bloggerheads

You have probably seen the images. The horrible, haunting images of Elin’s corpse under a pile of heavy stones. I’ve been on the internet since way back in the day and I’ve seen my share of genuine crime scene photos both on and offline, but I can tell you that I was horrified in a way that I have never been before, and that’s why I’m here for you today, when you need me the most... Elin Krantz: murder and ‘slut shaming’ as propaganda against minorities, Sweden & the EU | Bloggerheads

Ultraviolet.org: Thank these brave survivors

Dr. Christine Blasey Ford courageously came forward to tell her story of being sexually assaulted by Trump's Supreme Court pick, Brett Kavanaugh.

Now, his supporters will do everything they can to discredit, shame, and punish her for speaking out. We must show her and the rest of the country we have her back and we believe her and all survivors.

You can show your support for Christine Blasey Ford and Deborah Ramirez, who bravely came forward to share being sexually assaulted by Trump's Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, by signing this card, and we'll make sure they get each and every message.

We need to show them that we believe them and have their backs, so I joined thousands of UltraViolet members in signing this card. You can join me by signing here.

Thanks!

OKWONGA.COM: My new post, on Redfish and Russia Today.

I feel sick, but most of all I feel naive.

Last week I spent a wonderful couple of hours in the company of a film crew, who interviewed me at length for a documentary they were making about xenophobia and austerity in the UK. A few days later, I was thankfully informed by Oz Katerji, an investigative journalist, that this company – Redfish, based in Berlin – was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Russia Today...

OKWONGA.COM - My new post, on Redfish and Russia Today.

Call to electoral action from the ACLU

Hi I can't say it enough: Elections matter. The 2016 elections brought us the Muslim Ban, transgender military ban, family separations, and the further undermining of women's reproductive freedom. Exactly 100 days from now, many of our civil rights and civil liberties will be on the ballot in the 2018 midterm elections. Our vote is one of the most powerful tools we have to defend our democracy and expand rights for all. That's why we launched ACLU Voter, a program to mobilize voters nationwide to engage in the upcoming midterm elections – up and down the ticket – and vote like our rights depend on it. JOIN THE CALL We're holding an important call this Wednesday at 8pm ET / 5pm PT to discuss our strategy for galvanizing voters in 2018. Activists across the country will be calling in – can you join too? You'll hear from my colleagues who are in the heart of the fight. We'll talk in detail about what's at stake with the upcoming elections, and what actions you can take right now to make sure everyone is voting like our rights depend on it. This election season, we envision empowered voters heading to the polls to choose candidates who will uphold our rights and liberties across the country, in every town and city. If every ACLU supporter votes like our rights depend on it this November, we will make a huge impact. All of us have a role to play if we're going to make this vision a reality. That's why I hope you can join this nationwide mass call for a rundown of our next steps to mobilize voters everywhere. Sign up here to join us this Wednesday at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. I hope you can join, Faiz Shakir ACLU National Political Director

Scotland in Europe Update 27th July 2018 - Alyn Smith

So this has been the week of ‘no deal’. The head of Amazon warned it could cause civic unrest. (thetimes.co.uk/...); the NHS would need to stockpile drugs (bbc.co.uk/...) and the Brexit Secretary himself Dominic Raab has promised to make sure we don’t starve (twitter.com/...)... Scotland in Europe Update 27th July 2018 - Alyn Smith

This petition could help UK nationals retain EU citizenship after Brexit | Euronews

The European Commission has allowed a group to launch a petition calling for permanent EU citizenship after Brexit.

The proposed petition on “Permanent European Union Citizenship” is to be registered on July 23 as a European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI), the Commission announced.

“The main objective of the proposed initiative is to guarantee that European citizenship and its associated rights cannot be lost once they have been attained,” the Commission said in a press release... >>This petition could help UK nationals retain EU citizenship after Brexit | Euronews

Phurious Oryndge - Intermittent Explosive Disorder

On the Naughty Step - the questionable ethics of the Christian Legal Centre - Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and Comment

Who are CLC?

They are a private limited company. They are NOT a legal practice, or ABS. They are NOT a charity (so no loophole there).

[Update: The memorandum of association sets out the CLC are a non-profit company. There is therefore a question whether they can carry out reserved legal activities under the s.23 Legal Services Act 2007 exemption (which was intended for Law Centres and Trade Unions). As a side point, the memorandum states that the minimum number of directors required is two. As far as I can see, there has been only one director since 2013.]

The majority of shares/voting rights are held by Mrs Andrea Rose Minichiello Williams, who is also the sole director. She lists her occupation as ‘Barrister’. We’ll come back to that...

Read  the full post: On the Naughty Step - the questionable ethics of the Christian Legal Centre - Nearly Legal: Housing Law News and Comment

Trump on Comey

This spam arrived on 17th April.
Clearly the message was too long for a Twitter rant, because they had to fit the plea for money in. The Trump mob always add a plea for money. It just strikes me that US democracy must be in dire straits when a supposedly-wealthy President is crowd-funding his defence against incoming charges of corruption (and hopefully worse)... and people are donating.

---

If James Comey really had something big to say, why would he put it in a book and try to make millions off of it?

The truth is James Comey is a grandstanding liar who put his own interests above America’s.

Comey represents the worst of the swamp. He doesn’t want hardworking Americans like you to win.

Today we fight back. Let’s show him how many Americans refuse to let him silence them.

Please renew your 2018 Sustaining Membership by 9:00 PM TONIGHT.

---

Comments, by sentence:

1. At least he wrote the book himself, Mr Art-of-the-Deal. And since you went out of your way to stop him doing his job, because you were scared for your orange arse, putting his story into a book seems like a damn good way of getting his side of things out to a wider audience;
2. You misspelt "Donald Trump and his family" as "James Comey" there;
3. See (2);
4. You started it, you fat fraud, therefore you cannot "fight back";
5. No. I have never been a supporter of Trump, contributed to his campaign, or been a member of anything connected to his fuckwittery. I can spot a crook a mile off. 

FAKE NEWS: Your chance to crown the king!

The Ferret-haired Fraud and his fawning acolytes are presumably unaware that "to crown" also means "to belt around the ear", aka Punching a Nazi.

But I digress.

Read this email, which just landed - entirely unrequested - in my mailbox, and then dare tell me that Trump and his mob believe in democracy and a free Press.

---

Of all the biased, absurd, and downright FAKE news stories the media wrote about us in 2017, I picked just ELEVEN of the VERY WORST.

But now it’s time for the media to hear from you.

I want YOU -- the AMERICAN PEOPLE -- to crown the KING OF FAKE NEWS of 2017.

Please take my survey and let me know which organization you think pushed the MOST FAKE NEWS last year.

We’re going to keep calling the FAKE NEWS MEDIA out for their liberal bias and lies.

And we will NEVER let their attacks stop us from our mission to MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

So please, take the 2017 Fake News Awards Survey right now to crown the ULTIMATE King of Fake News.

MAGA,


Donald J. Trump

---

I went to have a look, of course. Oh joy, you can nominate your own candidate. Well, well, well.

The "survey" is here. It would be such a shame if it got freeped, right?